Traveling Through Illinois by LuAnn Cadden & Ted Cable

Traveling Through Illinois: Stories of I-55 Landmarks & Landscapes Between Chicago and St. Louis by LuAnn Cadden & Ted Cable, 190 pages

If you have ever traveled to Chicago and driven on I-55, I would say this is a handy book to have.  As I have been driving between St. Louis and Chicago every year for the past year, I wish someone had written this book sooner.  Just about everything that you find fascinating along I-55 you will find written in this book.  Written by southbound then by northbound exits, it is fascinating to read what I have been missing all these years.  For instance, I must stop by the grain elevator museum sometime soon to see what I have been missing!

Chasing Dragons: the True Story of the Piasa, by Mark and Laurie Nickless

Chasing Dragons: the True Story of the Piasa, by Mark and Laurie Nickless, 106 pages

This is a really interesting book of local interest.  Mark and Laurie Nickless hypothesize that the "Piasa bird" (painted on a cliff face in Alton, IL) was actually two Chinese dragons, painted by Chinese explorers.  The authors don't have a ton of proof for their theory, and the illustrations within leave ALOT to be desired, but it is quite provocative and really makes you wonder.

One Shot at Forever by Chris Ballard

One Shot at Forever: a small town, an unlikely coach, and a magical baseball season by Chris Ballard - 272 pages

This true life story of a rural Illinois baseball team and an unlikely coach tells the story of the 1971 season and their pursuit of the Illinois state baseball championship. Back then the championship was wide open to all schools and they weren't separated into classes by enrollment.  Baseball was the forgotten team in the tiny town of Macon that idolized high school athletics.  The Macon Ironmen, led by an English teacher with no experience, took on some of the biggest powerhouses in Illinois high school sports in a true David and Goliath matchup.   This book showcases a microcosm of the changes the nation went through transitioning from the idyllic 1950s into the more turbulent 60s and 70s.  If you like baseball you will find this to be an inspiring story that tugs at your heart.  It's not a Disney movie, but it should be.